Probation and Parole Officer

PROBATION & PAROLE OFFICER

PROBATION & PAROLE

BILLINGS, MT

The Montana Department of Corrections (DOC) is creating a safer Montana through Accountability, Rehabilitation and Empowerment. If you want to work making positive changes in your community, the Montana Department of Corrections is the place for you!

The Public Safety Division operates Montana’s prisons safely and securely and provides supervision and support for offenders in the community through its Probation and Parole Bureau. The work performed in this division is integral to the department’s mission to create a safer Montana through accountability, rehabilitation, and empowerment. Make a difference! Join us today!

The Probation and Parole Officer position, guided by the Department of Corrections (DOC) mission, plays a central role in managing the correctional population, promoting public safety and encouraging offenders to make positive life changing decisions for their future.

• The officer cooperates with, and solicits information from, the public and criminal justice system and supervises and counsels 80-100 offenders.

• Must have skills and abilities to equally balance social work and law enforcement duties.

• The officer conducts pre-sentence investigations and makes placement recommendations concerning those offenders sentenced to DOC. These investigations are completed with cooperation from other criminal justices’ agencies and by using investigative skills; knowledge of laws, rules and regulations pertaining to probation, parole, incarceration, rehabilitation and treatment programs, as well as knowledge of behavioral science.

• The officer then makes recommendations for rehabilitation, treatment plans, conditions of probation, the need for incarceration, and appropriate level (i.e. local jail or Montana State Prison) to the District Court and Parole Board through a written pre-sentence investigation report.

• Officers refer offenders to appropriate resources or programs using departments supervision standards, a risk and needs assessment as well as knowledge of state and community resources and monitors the progress of the client for compliance.

• Officers investigate alleged violations of probation or parole using knowledge of policies & procedures pertaining to violations, search warrants & investigations.

• Officers arrest and detain violators and testify in district court and information hearings relative to sentencing or revocation of client’s probation or parole status.

• Officers are trained to handle situations if probation & parole offenders or inmates become hostile & pose a physical threat. This requires the use of Oleoresin Capsicum “O.C. Spray” and firearms and carrying handcuffs.

• Work is of the nature that Officers may work varying schedules to include nights and week-end hours and that the Officer may be called back to work at any hour of the day or night and be available 24/7 when called upon to assist any Department of Corrections Facility or Law Enforcement Agency. The Officer needs to physically make an arrest, defend selves, in high-risk volatile scenarios in and away from the office.

• Travel for job may be required up to 10% of the time in addition to travel for training.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Probation and parole officers must have at least a college degree in a related field such as criminology, psychology, social work, sociology, or guidance and counseling and some formal training in behavioral sciences.

• Exceptions to this rule must be approved by the department. Related work experience in the areas listed in subsection (1)(b) may be substituted for educational requirements at the rate of 1 year of experience for 9 months formal education if approved by the department. All present employees are exempt from this requirement but are encouraged to further their education at the earliest opportunity.  (b) Work experience that may be substituted for the educational requirements in subsection (1)(a) includes experience in the areas of corrections/detention, criminology, education, medicine, psychiatry, psychology, law, law enforcement, social work, sociology, psychiatric nursing, or guidance and counseling.

PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER INFORMATION

This position requires POST Basic Certification after attending training at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy and successfully completing one year of employment with the Department of Corrections.  In addition to the training and experience requirements, to be POST Certified, the successful candidate(s) must\: 

1. Be a citizen of the United States of America;

2. Be at least 18 years of age;

3. Be fingerprinted for a criminal history search;

4. Not have been convicted of a crime for which s/he could have been imprisoned in a federal or state penitentiary;

5. Be of good moral character, as determined by a thorough background screen;

6. Be a high school graduate or issued a GED or its equivalent; AND,

7. Possess or be eligible for a valid Montana driver’s license.

REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS

• Cover Letter

• Resume

• State of Montana Application

Applications missing required documentation will not be considered.

Materials submitted but not requested will not be considered in the selection process, please make sure all attachments are marked as RELEVANT

If another department vacancy occurs in this job title within six months, the same applicant pool may be used for the selection.

Background screens which may include criminal records check, child/patient/offender abuse registries, and reference checks will be conducted for this position.

BENEFITS

• Your service is rewarded with competitive compensation and generousState of Montana Benefits.

• State of Montana employment may qualify for student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

The Department of Corrections participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility.  After accepting a job offer and completing Form I-9, your information will be submitted to the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration for verification.   For more information about E-Verify, please visit the E-Verify website found here, https\://www.e-verify.gov/.

NOTICES

Brady Act & Lautenberg Amendment - Any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or is the subject of a court order of protection for “an intimate partner or child of such intimate partner” cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition (Title 18, U.S.C., Section 922(g)(91)). Candidates who have been convicted of any felony or a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or were issued a court order of protection are not qualified for this position.

Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 -  Any person who has 1) engaged in sexual abuse in a prison, jail, lockup, community confinement facility, juvenile facility, or other institution; 2) been convicted of engaging in or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force, or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse; or 3) been civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in activity as described in the latter, are not qualified for this position. 

Tobacco Free - The use of all tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco products and tobacco substitutes is prohibited in Department of Corrections buildings.  In secure care facilities possession of tobacco products is prohibited.

Anyone who needs to request a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the HR staff identified on the job listing or by dialing the Montana Relay at 711. Montana Job Service Offices also offer services including assistance with submitting an online application.

State government does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, creed, political beliefs or affiliation, veteran status, military service, retaliation, or any other factor not related to merit and qualifications of an employee or applicant.